Vented Package Lockbox

ABSTRACT

A vented package lockbox for securely storing delivered packages includes a housing forming an inner cavity. The housing has a plurality of vent apertures and a plurality of mounting apertures. The plurality of mounting apertures is configured to receive a plurality of fasteners to fix the housing to a porch or a stoop. A lid is coupled to the housing to cover and alternatively uncover the open top side. A lock is coupled to the housing and is electively engageable with the lid to maintain the lid in a closed position until unlocked. An emergency release is coupled to the lid and is in operational communication with the lock to unlock the lid from the inner cavity in case a child gets locked within the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR ASA TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Descriptionof Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and1.98.

The disclosure and prior art relates to lockboxes and more particularlypertains to a new lockbox for securely storing delivered packages.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a housing having a front side separated from a backside, a left side separated from a right side, and a bottom sideseparated from an open top side forming an inner cavity. The housing hasa plurality of vent apertures extending through the left side and theright side, and a plurality of mounting apertures extending through thebottom side to the inner cavity. The plurality of mounting apertures isconfigured to receive a plurality of fasteners to fix the housing to aporch or a stoop. A lid is coupled to the housing to cover andalternatively uncover the open top side. A lock is coupled to thehousing and is electively engageable with the lid to maintain the lid ina closed position until unlocked. An emergency release is coupled to thelid and is in operational communication with the lock to unlock the lidfrom the inner cavity in case a child gets locked within the housing.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

There are additional features of the disclosure that will be describedhereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claimsappended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric in-use view of a vented package lockbox accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosurealong line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through5 thereof, a new lockbox embodying the principles and concepts of anembodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the referencenumeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the vented package lockbox 10generally comprises a housing 12 having a front side 14 separated from aback side 16, a left side 18 separated from a right side 20, and abottom side 22 separated from an open top side 24 forming an innercavity 26. The housing 12 has a plurality of vent apertures 28 and aplurality of mounting apertures 30. The plurality of vent apertures 28may comprise three vent apertures extending through the left side 18 andthree apertures extending through the right side 20. The plurality ofmounting apertures 30 extends through the bottom side 22 to the innercavity 26 and may be linearly aligned. The plurality of mountingapertures 30 is configured to receive a plurality of fasteners 32 to fixthe housing 12 to a porch or a stoop 34.

A plurality of screens 36 may be coupled to the plurality of ventapertures 30. A plurality of vent covers 38 is coupled to the housing 12and extends away from the housing and has an open bottom 39 to allowairflow to the plurality of vent apertures 30. Each of the plurality ofvent covers 38 may have a rounded profile. The plurality of screens 36and the plurality of vent covers 38 prevent access to the inner cavity26 of the housing. A lid 40 covers and alternatively uncovers the opentop side 24 of the housing. A hinge 42 is coupled a rear edge 43 of thelid and to the back side 16 of the housing adjacent the open top side24. The hinge 42 allows the lid 40 to swing from a closed position 44 toan alternate open position 46. A hydraulic lift arm 48 may be coupled tothe housing 12 and the lid 40 to assist the movement between the closedposition 44 and the alternate open position 46, as well as to maintainthe alternate open position 46. A lock 50 is coupled to the housing 12and comprises a latch 52, a handle 54, and a keyhole 56. The latch 52selectively engages the lid 40 in the closed position 44. The handle 54releases the latch 52 to free the lid 40 to move to the alternate openposition 46. The keyhole 56 receives a key to enable the handle 54 whichis otherwise locked to prevent the lid 40 from opening. An emergencyrelease 58 is coupled to the lid 40 and comprises a pull cable 60 and ahandgrip 62. The handgrip 62 may be phosphorescent and triangular. Theemergency release 58 is in operational communication with the lock 50 torelease the latch 52 and unlock the lid 40 from the inner cavity 26 incase a child gets locked within the housing 12.

In use, a delivery man places the packages within the inner cavity 26and moves the lid 40 to the closed position 44. The owner of the homethen uses the key to unlock the handle 54 and free the lid 40 toretrieve the packages.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. A vented package lockbox comprising: a housing having afront side separated from a back side, a left side separated from aright side, and a bottom side separated from an open top side forming aninner cavity, the housing having a plurality of vent apertures extendingthrough the left side and the right side, and a plurality of mountingapertures extending through the bottom side to the inner cavity, theplurality of mounting apertures being configured to receive a pluralityof fasteners to fix the housing to a porch or a stoop; a lid coupled tothe housing, the lid covering and alternatively uncovering the open topside; a lock coupled to the housing, the lock being selectivelyengageable with the lid to maintain the lid in a closed position untilunlocked; and an emergency release coupled to the lid, the emergencyrelease being in operational communication with the lock to unlock thelid from the inner cavity in case a child gets locked within thehousing.
 2. The vented package lockbox of claim 1 further comprising ahinge coupled to the housing and the lid, the hinge being coupled to arear edge of the lid and to the back side of the housing adjacent theopen top side, the hinge allowing the lid to swing from the closedposition to an alternate open position.
 3. The vented package lockbox ofclaim 1 further comprising a hydraulic lift arm coupled to the housingand the lid, the hydraulic lift arm assisting the movement between theclosed position and the alternate open position as well as maintainingthe alternate open position.
 4. The vented package lockbox of claim 1further comprising a plurality of screens coupled to the plurality ofvent apertures.
 5. The vented package lockbox of claim 1 furthercomprising a plurality of vent covers coupled to the housing, theplurality of vent covers extending away from the housing and having anopen bottom to allow airflow to the plurality of vent apertures.
 6. Thevented package lockbox of claim 5 further comprising each of theplurality of vent covers having a rounded profile.
 7. The vented packagelockbox of claim 1 further comprising the plurality of vent aperturescomprising three vent apertures extending through the left side andthree apertures extending through the right side.
 8. The vented packagelockbox of claim 1 further comprising the lock comprising a latch, ahandle, and a keyhole, the latch selectively engaging the lid in theclosed position, the handle releasing the latch to free the lid, and thekeyhole receiving a key to enable the handle, the emergency release alsoreleasing the latch.
 9. The vented package lockbox of claim 1 furthercomprising the emergency release comprising a pull cable and a handgrip.10. The vented package lockbox of claim 9 further comprising thehandgrip being phosphorescent.
 11. The vented package lockbox of claim 1further comprising the plurality of mounting apertures being linearlyaligned.
 12. A vented package lockbox comprising: a housing having afront side separated from a back side, a left side separated from aright side, and a bottom side separated from an open top side forming aninner cavity, the housing having a plurality of vent apertures and aplurality of mounting apertures, the plurality of vent aperturescomprising three vent apertures extending through the left side andthree apertures extending through the right side to the inner cavity,the plurality of mounting apertures extending through the bottom side tothe inner cavity and being linearly aligned, the plurality of mountingapertures being configured to receive a plurality of fasteners to fixthe housing to a porch or a stoop; a plurality of screens coupled to theplurality of vent apertures; a plurality of vent covers coupled to thehousing, the plurality of vent covers extending away from the housingand having an open bottom to allow airflow to the plurality of ventapertures, each of the plurality of vent covers having a roundedprofile; a lid having a rear edge, the lid covering and alternativelyuncovering the open top side of the housing; a hinge coupled to thehousing and the lid, the hinge being coupled to the rear edge and to theback side of the housing adjacent the open top side, the hinge allowingthe lid to swing from a closed position to an alternate open position; ahydraulic lift arm coupled to the housing and the lid, the hydrauliclift arm assisting the movement between the closed position and thealternate open position as well as maintaining the alternate openposition; a lock coupled to the housing, the lock comprising a latch, ahandle, and a keyhole, the latch selectively engaging the lid in theclosed position, the handle releasing the latch to free the lid, and thekeyhole receiving a key to enable the handle; and an emergency releasecoupled to the lid, the emergency release comprising a pull cable and ahandgrip, the handgrip being phosphorescent, the emergency release beingin operational communication with the lock to release the latch andunlock the lid from the inner cavity in case a child gets locked withinthe housing.